Dancers, actors and acrobats fly across the stage in perfect unison, creating a mystifying blend of performance art and athletics.

The Okanagan Rhythmic Gymnastics (ORG) Club and Cirque Theatre Company is bringing its rendition of Pinocchio to the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre stage Nov. 24-25.

With roots in the classic Italian yarn, the club brings together talented actors and current rhythmic gymnastics Team Canada stars to create the captivating performance experience.

香蕉视频直播淥ne thing I really found from coming from a high performance background is kids feel, 香蕉视频直播極h, I did sports, I can香蕉视频直播檛 do that,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� said the show香蕉视频直播檚 producer, director, choreographer and ORG head coach who competed in the 香蕉视频直播�96 Olympics in Atlanta. 香蕉视频直播淚 think the lines are way blurrier than we think.香蕉视频直播�

And it香蕉视频直播檚 an arts and athletics marriage that has sparked success for Martens and ORG, who have put on their yearly performance since 2000, consecutively filling more than 3,000 seats since their 2010 performance of Wonka.

This year is no exception, with the performance香蕉视频直播檚 three special school-only shows filling up on the first day.

香蕉视频直播淲e had to say no to a whole school,香蕉视频直播� Martens said. 香蕉视频直播淚t used to be like, I wonder if anyone will come.香蕉视频直播�

But these shows, which bring buses of students from across the area to the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre, aren香蕉视频直播檛 about the profits.

香蕉视频直播淲e don香蕉视频直播檛 really make money on the school shows, it香蕉视频直播檚 more about community outreach,香蕉视频直播� Martens said, adding that she hopes the shows inspire kids to pursue athletics and/or the arts and show that there香蕉视频直播檚 always more than one way to do things.

香蕉视频直播淕rowing up in a family where we weren香蕉视频直播檛 told a lot of that, we definitely had more of a sense of let香蕉视频直播檚 make our own way of doing it,香蕉视频直播� the Vernon product said. 香蕉视频直播淟et香蕉视频直播檚 do something else. Let香蕉视频直播檚 do our own thing.香蕉视频直播�

Following Martens香蕉视频直播� mantra of carving a new path, the cast of roughly 70 people ranging in age from five to 70 perused the story香蕉视频直播檚 multiple versions to craft an ORG-specific screenplay.

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Drawing inspiration from multiple versions of the family-favourite tale, ORG香蕉视频直播檚 Pinocchio features Madeline Sellars as the title character, Ben McLean as Grillo the Cricket 香蕉视频直播� better known as Jiminy Cricket from Disney香蕉视频直播檚 take 香蕉视频直播� Gabriel Newman as Geppetto, Emmalee Holland as the Blue Fairy and Yann Brierley as Stromboli. The show also features renowned Vernon talents Brie-Anne MacPherson, , and Tammy Andreotti.

It香蕉视频直播檚 a show that had been suggested in the past, but Martens said it never felt right, until now.

香蕉视频直播淲e had Pinocchio suggested a few times, but I shied away from it because I found it scary as a kid,香蕉视频直播� Martens said. 香蕉视频直播淲hat draws us to it (now) is the whole concept of strings and looking at what does it mean to be real and in what ways do we avoid being real? For us, the metaphor of the strings are a symbol of numbing.香蕉视频直播�

Martens asked the kids what they fear the most, and the resounding answer was being embarrassed. Unlike some adults who use drugs and alcohol to escape their problems, Martens said, kids often turn to TV or their devices. Pinocchio is about being true to oneself and breaking down those barriers.

香蕉视频直播淟ooking at Pinocchio and his challenges to be honest, brave and generous and watching him go through a whole series of events is sort of joyous,香蕉视频直播� Martens said.

香蕉视频直播淲e all want to be real and sign up for the full human experience,香蕉视频直播� Martens said. 香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 what brought us to this story.香蕉视频直播�

ORG香蕉视频直播檚 Pinocchio takes the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 25 at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $38.25 adult, $25.25 seniors and students, $18.25 child 12-and-under or $80 for a family of four (two adult and two youth passes, not available online) available through the Ticket Seller, 250-549-7469, .